Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman’s stylised beard – a mix of a thin mutton chop beard, a classic gunslinger or a Franz Josef – has become the talk of the town. It may not be too long before it becomes a trend among people. A beard sported by Superstar Rajinikanth in “Petta” or Suriya in “Singam”. Abhinandan’s well-groomed facial hair style may well be the next big thing for men who have drawn from shapes sported by cricketers Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, and Bollywood star Ranveer Singh in recent times.
Abhinandan, an IAF Wing Commander, returned to India on Friday night, two days after he was captured by Pakistan when his MiG-21 crashed in that country. After the end of the nail-biting drama over his return, Twitterati has finally got a chance to mull over his unique mustache. For generations altogether, Army and Air Force personnel have been particular about flaunting a well-groomed mustache or beard and it is part of their sub-culture.
A mustache is seen as an essential part of masculinity – from royalty to soldiers to dacoits and even popular culture. Twitterati is going gaga over the mustache. If there are memes, there are also discussions about how long it’s going to be before the style becomes a rage. Barbers are going to have a tough task designing this, and may thus benefit from premium pricing, Some even recounted actor Suriya’s “Singam” mustache and calling Abhinandan the “real Singam” for his bravery.
